Derailing-switch.



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(Appution me@ .my 27, 1899.)

(No Model.)

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NiirE STATES PATENT OEEICE.

ARTHUR L. GEORGE, OF .IOIlNSTOI/VN, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE LORAINSTEEL COMPANY, OF PENNSYLVANIA.

DERAlLlNG-SWITCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 639,374, dated December19, 1899.

Application led July 27, 1899. Serial No. 725,333. (No model.)

To a/ZZ whom, t may oon/cern: car, and which cannot, however, beoperated Beit known that I, ARTHUR L. GEORGE, of until released by asecond operator on the Johnstown, in the county of Cambria, Statedistant side of the crossing, and which con1-v of Pennsylvania, haveinvented a new and pels the stoppage of the car before it reaches 55 5useful Improvementin DerailingeSwitches, of the crossing.

which the following is afull, clear, and exact With these objects inView my invention description, reference being had to the accomconsistsin providing` a lock or stop whereby panying drawings, which form a partof this the switch is normally held in position to dispecification. vertthe car to the siding or run-off rails, to- 6c Io My invention hasrelation to certain imgetherwith means whereby such lock or stopprovements in railwayswitches of that class cannot be released exceptfrom a point beyond known as derailing-switches,and whichare thecrossing, although when so released the used at grade-crossings for thepurpose of switch is operated at the car, and can be opera preventingaccidents. In switches of this ated only at that point. 65 15 class,which are generally used where electric The invention also comprisesmeans where or street cars cross a steam-railroad, the elecby the switchis automatically reset after the tric or street track is provided withshort car has passed. 4 siding or run-of rails, with the switch nor- Theinvention also consists in the novel mally set in position to divert anapproaching construction and combination of parts,` all as 7o 2o caronto such rails, thereby making it neces-V hereinafter described, andpointed out in the sary for the car to stop at that point and theappended claims, reference being had to the switch to be thrown to passthe car along the accompanying drawings, in whichmain track. HeretoforeVarious means have Figure l is a plan View of aV portion of a beenemployed for operating the switch-point main track and crossing andillustrating the 75 2 5 to throw it at a towerror some other distantinvention. Fig. 2 is an enlarged plan view point, at which an operatoris stationed or to showing the switch and the means for nor` which theconductor or other employee promally locking the same, the cover of thebox ceeds for that purpose. These means, howwhich incloses said meansbeing removed. ever, have not been entirely satisfactory for Fig. 3 is across-section on the line a: :r of Fig. 8o 3o several reasons. In thefirst place, the mech- 2. Fig. 4 is a section on theline yy of Fig. 2.

anism employed has been ofamore or less com- Fig. 5 is a plan view ofthe device at the displicated character, expensive to construct, intantside of the crossing, and Fig. 6 is a verstall, and maintain, andgenerally involves tical section of the same. some special form ofswitch-tongue or mov- In the drawings the letter A designates the 8 5 35able member. A further objection is that track-rails of the steam-road,B the mainthrough carelessness on the part of the distrack rails of theelectric or street road, and tant operator or by reason of some defectin O the siding or run-od rails. the connections or obstruction at theswitch D is the switch-tongue, which is shown as the operator may signala car to proceed beof the usual form, pivoted at el to the bed of 9o 4ofore the switch has been thrown, the motorthe switch structure.

manon the car relying wholly upon the signal E designates a suitable boxor closure havreceived, or he may pass an approaching car ing aremovable cover E and set in the roadwithout compelling it to stop, andby carebed beside the switch intermediate the point y lessness-on hispart may thus entirely frusand heel of the switch-tongue D. This box is95 45 trate the object and purpose of the switch. shown as beingsecurely bolted to the guard- The objects of myinvention are to providerail member H of the switch structure at cc. a switch of the classdescribed which is simple Firmly secured to the switch-tongue and proandinexpensive in its parts and can be used jecting laterally through anopening h in the with any ordinary switch point or tongue, guard-rail Hand into the box E through an roo 5o which is not shifted from a distantpoint, but opening E2 in the wall thereof is a stud K. from a rpointimmediately in advance of the L is a bolt or stud secured in verticalposi-l i i tion Within the boXE in the upperand lower lugs c c2 thereof.

M is a bell-crank sleeve or rocker, which is loosely mounted on saidbolt or stud with its upper arm L normally impinging against the innerend of the stud K and its lower and oppositely-extending arm L2 engagingthe end of the rod M. The rod M extends into the lower portion of thebox E through a hollow projection E3 thereof, and coiled around the rod,between the arm L2 and a iixed bearing n, is a stiff coiled spring N.The arm L2 is held on the rod against this spring by means of a nut l.

P designates a box set in or adjacent to the road-bed upon the distantside of the crossing. Journaled within this box P, in open side bearingsp, is a rocker R, having a socket r to receive therein the end portionof a suitable operating-bar and also having a depending arm R. Connectedto this arm R at one end and to the rod IWI at its opposite end is asuitable ,cable S, which is inclosed in a pipe T or other protectivecovering.

P is a slotted cover for the box P.

r is a drain-opening at the bottom of the socket r.

The operation is as follows: A car approaching the crossing is compelledto stop, owing tothe normal position of the switch, and the conductor orother employee proceeds to the box P at the distant side of thecrossing. At this point, by means of a suitable bar inserted into thesocket r of the rocker R, the latter is actuated to move the arm R tothe right, (looking at the drawings,) thereby pulling on the cable S androd M. This actuates the rocker M to move its arm L away from the stud Kof the'switch-tongue, and thereby release the lock which said arm formedagainst movement of the tongue. At the same time the spring N is putunder compression. The` motorman now, by means of his bar, throws thetongue over and the car proceeds, the distant operator meanwhilecontinuing to hold the rocker R in the position described. As soon asthe operator releases this rocker the spring N immediately throws thepoint back toits normal position.

It will be observed from the foregoing that the switch is not operatedfrom the distant point, but is simply released to permit its operationat the car, and that until so released it cannot be operated at the car,the spring N being too strong to be overcome by the motorman with thelimited leverage which he can obtain with his bar upon the switchtongue.Moreover, should an attempt of this kind be made, it would availnothing, as the spring N would return the tongue to its normal positionthe moment the bar is withdrawn. The tongue will, however, trail topermit the car to pass in the opposite direction.

While I have herein shown and described the invention as applied to atongue-switch, it is obvious that it may be applied with equal advantageto other forms of switches.

I do not limit myself to the particular means which I have herein shownand described, although I believe that such means are in all respectswell adapted to the practical application of my invention. It isobvious, however, that the construction and arrangement may be changedin many particulars without departing from the spirit and scope of myinvention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to protectby Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination with a main track, of a `'derailing-switch normallyset to divert the car from said main track, of a lock for holding theswitch so set, and means whereby said lock can be released from adistant point and whereby the switch cannot be shifted except at theplace where it is situated. v

2. The combination with a main track, of a derailing-switch situatedadjacent to a crossing thereof and normally set to divert a car fromsaid track, a lock to normally hold the switch so set, and means wherebysaid lock may be released only from a distant side of the crossing andwithout shifting the switch.

3. The combination with main-track and siding rails, of a switch whosemovable member is normally set to divert a car to said sidingrails, alock which normally prevents movement of said member and which isindependent of means for shifting or throwing the member to its otherposition, and means for releasing said lock from a distant point.

4.- The combination with main-track and siding rails, of a switch whosemovable member is norm ally set to divert a car to said siding= rails, alock which normally prevents movement of said member and which isindependent of means for shifting or throwing the member to its oppositeposition, and means for releasing said lock from a distant point saidlock having means forautomatically resetting it after a car has passedthe switch.

5. The combination with main-track and siding rails, of a switch whosemovable member is normally set to divert a car to said sidingrails,locking devices for said member arranged to move thel tongue in onedirection only, and means for releasing the locking device from adistance, said lock having means for actuating the locking device toreset the same and also return the movable member to normal position.

6. In a derailing-switch, the combination with a switch havingitsmovable member normally set to divert a car from the main track, of alocking device disconnected from said member but having a normalimpingement against the said member to prevent operation thereof, avspring for maintainingl such impingement and means operated at adistance for releasing said impingement.

7. In a derailing-switch, the combination with a switch having itsmovable member normally set to divert a car from the main track,` of arocker having an arm which normally im roo ' pinges against said memberor a projection thereof, a spring acting upon the rocker to maintainsuch impingement and means operated at a distant point for actuatingsaid rocker in opposition to the spring.

8. In a derailing-switch, the combination with a switch tongue or pointnormally set to divert a car from the main track, and having a lateralprojection, a box or casing adjacent to the switch and into which saidprojection extends, a rocker pivoted in said box or casing and havingone arm normally impinging the said projection, means for maintainingsuch` impingement and a connection from said rocker and leading to adistant point, together with means at `such point for operating therocker, through said connection, to release such impingement.

9. In a derailing-switch, the combination with a switch-tongue normallyset to divert a car from its main track, of a box or closure adjacent tosaid tongue, a rocker having an arm normallyimpinging said tongue, aspring for maintaining such impingement, a cable or the like connectedto said rocker, and means at the distant end of said cable for operatingsaid rocker in opposition to the spring.

10. In a derailing-switch, a movable switchtongue having a lateral studor projection, a rocker having an arm normally in contact with said studor projection and locking the tongue againstmovement, a rod engaged bysaid arm, a spring coiled about said rodbei l2.. The herein-describedmeans for compellinga car to stop before passing a crossing, consistingof a switch normally set to divert the car from its course, and lockedin that position, and lock-releasin g devices located at a distancefromthe switch, said switch when released being actuated only at the switch.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature in presence of twowitnesses.

` ARTHUR L. GEORGE.

Witnesses:

JOHN H. KENNEDY, H; W. SMITH.

